The National tribune., 1887-10-06
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
VALUE OF ASHES.

the value of wood ashes. 4 ton of well-saved
ashes contains 200 pounds of carbonate of pot
ash, worth Sl2, and 100 pounds of phosphoric
acid, worth Sc. This phosphoric acid may be
| called insoluble, but it is in an organic cOndi-
tion, and hence is worth more than the mineral
| phosphatos because il is more easily made solu-
| bic in the soil than these. Eighteen dollars
per ton, or 80 cents per hundred pounds, or 40
cents per bushel, is more than can be obtained
for them in any other way; hence farmers who
have them should use them for the soil rather
than sell them 10 the soap OF potash makers.
and should particularly avoid wasting them.
! Leached ashes containing but little potash, but
much lime and maguesia. and about 60 pounds
/ Of phOsphOric acid, worth $3.50 TO the ton, or
10 cents per bushel for this alone, are well
worth buying at the present market rates.
| Foolish and improvdent farmers in Canada are
selling ashes, which can DO bought on our
border by the carload. at reasonable prices, and
such opportunities of profiting by other mems
improvidence should not be neglected. A large
quantity of ashes can be gathered together by
/ burning the coarse weeds which grow about
! the fences, on tho road sides. in woodlands and
on swamps and neglected ground, all Of which
! goes TO waste where IL does the least good.
/ French farmers make practice OF gathering
! this waste matter and everything that is COM
| bustible and burning il in small heaps covered
with earth. These heaps made near to-
gether in fields that need following. and the
ashes are spread over the surface, afording q
most valuable fertilizer, at the same time rid
| ding the farm OF unsghtly debris. The writer
! is now doing the same thing on field which
| is being broken up FOR Fall grain and grass
seeding. large quantity of stuff of various
| kinds may be gathered that would he useless
| membranes elsewhere. TussOcks from low
meadow. roots aud grubS from piece OF newly
cleared laud. rotten wood aud loose rubbish.
ferns from woodland, and abundant ragweed
| frsm grain stubhles newly seeded, mOwn and
Taked IN. altogether furnish enough material
10 afford 10 or 90 bushels Of ashes to the acre.
| There is a leisure for this work even now and
| favorable opportunity and il is the one thing
| needful for the Fall days when other work is
not pressing the forchanded farmer.
THIS POTATO CROP.
All through the West the potato crop is seri-
ously decreased by the severe drought which
has prevailed, and in places as much as Sl.60 a
| bushel is being paid for them. Farmers are
enforced purchasers AZ these prices. For years
past American farmers have been protected
| from Canadian competition by an import duty
on potatoes Of II cents per bushel, and Cana
dians who wished 10 sell potatoes over our side
United States Government II cents a bushel,
| because we had moro potatoes than We wanted
| TO use; and when we wanted TO sell potatoes TO
| the Canadians we had 10 pay this same differ
! ence 10 tho Canadian Government because of
| their tarii. Now the shoe Is on the other foot,
aud Western farmers wanting to buy potatoes
have 10 pay the United States Government Is
cents a bu,hel for the privilege OF buying from
| the Canadians an indispensable article OF food.
| This is the kind OF protection farmers have
been claAoring for, and just now they can
| easily see how il works. cAnd if it works in
this way with potatoes why does ID not work
| tho same way with every other thing farmers
have to buy2 As the thing does not change
the act and the principle. of course the farmers
have TO pay for the privilege of buying every
thing they want.
DISEASED AsfMALs.
The prevention OF disease communicated TO
! persons by diseased animals aud their products
| Is a subject for the most careful precautions by
| all concerned. Ii is known that milk is
able TO convey scarlet fever. typhoid fever,
| diphtheria measles, and various other febrie
diseases TO persons by nero infection as we'll
as 10y direct poisoning by its unwhoesome
quality. Consumption has been conveyed
through the nesh Of poultry infected by the
disease and no doubt the milk and flesh OF
cattle suffering from tuberculosis may infect
persons who consume them. IL is not probable
THAI any very great fatality occurs ia this
| way, ~ has been rccklessly asserted by some
persons. but tue danger exists. and is therefore
a reasonable cause for constant apprehension.
I Lightning may strike but one person IN a mil
! lion, or In ten million, in year, but the fact
| that any one person may be the victim causes
the most lively sensations of danger when the
fatal bolt descends in uRes vicinity, and thus
| We may all very reasonably watch with the
utmost solicitude for the appearance of even
tho most remote probability Of danger from
the causes mentioned.
NOTES.
The quantity of bran TO be fed TO horses
depends upon the kind of bran used and the
| work of the horse. Bran alone will be too laxa-
tive for horse unless il has considerable pro-
| portion Of the coarse mlddlings with it and
| then. If given with moisiened cut hay. IL is an
| excellent food. of which 10 pounds day may
| be given TO n horse at moderate work. Of coarse
bran i've or six pounds may be given with as
much corn, both ground together AS fine as
possible.
- Peas contain a largo quantity of nutri-
ment, viz . per cent. of fat, % per cent. of
| albuninoids, and % per cent OF carbohydrates; (;
| consequently they are rich feed, and are better
for fattening animals than corn, because tho
starch and fat are not in excess, and tho flesh
forming matters yield muscle rs well as fat
Hence, pea-fed pork is better meat than corn
fed, aud is more solid, and, containing moro
cellular fiber and less fluid OIL il does not waste
SO much in the cooking.
1t is not q safe practice 20 shear sheep in
the Fall where the Winter is cold aud wet. The
loss of the fleece " apt TO chill the shcep aud
cause loss of lambs as well as reduce the con-
dition or pecessitate more food. 1t is not wise
to follow the California method where the dry
and mild California climate does not prevail
aud where the Winters are cold and snowy
We do not know of a ease in which sheep have
been sheaTed, even in the Southern States, that
has not been found TO be Il mistake, excepting
when the sheep are kept continually under
cover and artifcally warmed.
Potatoes keep best in pits in tho ground
cut Of doors, where they are cool and moist, but
they must be preserved from too low temper
ature by ample covering and from water by
choosing an clevated,Idry place. To make u
pit dig a trench three feet wide and two feet
deep, throwing the earth ON both sides; heap
the potatoes TO point or ridge and cover with
long, straight straw, bendbg the straw over
the top. Cover eight or 10 inches deep with
straw aud then with threo1or four inches of
earth, leaving the peak uncovered until cold
weather, when il, too should be covered with
earth. ct
- Pigs are subject 10 many kinds of worms.
This is due 20 their habits offeeding, and should
be counteracted by keepingt hem from filthy food
and providing them with clean pens. To get rid
of the worms feed scalded bran in which is given
two drains of wOrpseed (santonine) daily and
continue for two weeks. As n preventive give
salt in the food, but only in moderate quantity,
as one dram daily, and once week give half q
dram Of powdered sulphate of iron. 0iIal OF
all Einla aud nufri1 f.cd chnnI1 ha Eapt fro,,